see also

The final state budget deal was a big win for Gov. Cuomo, who got his way on pretty much everything except ethics reform.

Start with the best news: Cuomo came through for charter-school children. The freeze on charters’ per-pupil funding won’t officially end for another year, but these innovative public schools will get direct state grants to reduce the gap this year — and also get markedly more facilities funding.

Children attending these public schools still won’t get their full fair share of public funding, but they’ll be a lot closer than they’ve ever been. That’s the biggest real shift in state policy in the entire budget.

On the other hand, the gov also got his “economic development” funds OK’d, including another $400 million for the scandal-plagued Buffalo Billion projects.

Notably, there’s another $385 million for what the Empire Center’s E.J. McMahon calls “the biggest, murkiest pork-barrel slush fund Albany has ever seen” — the State and Municipal Facilities Program, which forks out cash with zero public scrutiny.

Over $200 million in SMFP cash has already gone to some of the same entities (ab)used in the alleged bid-rigging that has top former Cuomo aides facing federal charges. And lawmakers even loosened the limits on what SMFP funds can go for.